John Henry

by Brad Kessler

This is a larger-than-life tale about the African American hero who was born with a hammer in his hand. Join John Henry on a scenic journey from cotton country to the wilderness, where he finds men of all colors working together to build a great railroad. In no time, John Henry becomes king of the railroad camps by driving more steel than any man alive. And, in an exciting contest that pits man against machine, he single-handedly out-performs a new-fangled steam drill. This rousing tale delivers an inspirational message about pride and perseverance.

Genres: Picture Books, Audiobook, Childrens

36 pages, Library Binding

First published September 1, 1995

About the author

Brad Kessler’s novel Birds in Fall won the Dayton Literary Peace Prize. His other books include Goat Song, Lick Creek, and The Woodcutter’s Christmas. His work has appeared in The New Yorker, The Nation, The Kenyon Review, and BOMB, as well as other publications. He is the recipient of a Whiting Writers’ Award, a National Endowment for the Arts fellowship, and the Rome Prize from the American Academy of Arts and Letters.

Reviews

[Ronyell · Rating 5 out of 5]

“John Henry” is a Grammy- nominated video by the folks from the famous Rabbit Ears Productions. In this tale, America’s greatest tall tale hero, John Henry, faces his biggest challenge against the steam drill, which will decide the fate of all the hard working people in the future. Denzel Washington’s energetic narration, along with B.B. King’s soulful and jazzy music and Barry Jackson’s exuberant illustrations, all combine to make “John Henry” an instant treat for children young and old.

Denzel Washington’s narration is energetic, especially when he sounds like he is in awe when he narrates John Henry’s spectacular spectacles, such as being born with a hammer in his hand. The scene that I thought was Denzel Washington’s greatest performance was the scene where John Henry is telling the stranger off about the steam drill as he goes into detail about how a man has a big heart while a steam drill only has a cold and steel heart. B.B. King’s music is simply soulful and jazzy, giving this story a soulful edge to the famous tall tale. I especially love the song that B.B. King sings about John Henry being a natural man and carrying a hammer in his hand and I love how that song is repeated throughout the story, so that it can remind the audience about what type of person John Henry is. Barry Jackson’s illustration are colorful and creative, especially of the image of John Henry himself as John Henry mainly wear a white t-shirt and blue jeans and is always looking happy and confident about himself, which sends a great message about the importance of being confident in the activities that you do. I also love the image of the stranger as he is wearing a yellow suit and even has a gold tooth in his mouth, which indicates that he is a city slicker.

“John Henry” is probably one of Rabbit Ears finest stories ever created as it talks about the importance of self-confidence and determination in doing the activities that pleases you. I would recommend this video to children ages five and up since I do not find anything inappropriate in this video.

Just a little heads up, this is the review for the video version of this tale, but because the video version is exactly the same as the book version of this tale, this review accounts for both the book and the video.

Review is also on: Rabbit Ears Book Blog

[Ashley B. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked this book because it is about the human spirit and how it cannot be replaced by a machine. John Henry was a big man who loved to work and wanted to help expand the great country he was born in. When he felt he was old enough to leave the house, he found a group of men working on a railroad. John saw how hard the men were working and wanted to help. As it turned out, John was very good at laying railroad ties and soon he was laying more railroad than any other man. One day, though, a man came with a machine that would lay railroad ties by itself. John didn't like the idea of being replaced by a machine, so he challenged the driver to a race to see who was better. John worked so hard to prove humans are better that once he won the race he died peacefully. This story was so fun to read and I think other kiddos would like to read the story too.

[Rosa Cline · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one (of many) versions of John Henry. It's written in storybook format so it's very easy for a young reader-listener to follow along. The illustrations are really nice as well. In this version John Henry wasn't married or had a family except his parents at the beginning. When he out grew them he set off with his large hammer. Then came across the railroad and found what he really loved to do. Drive the railroad ties. He does help the crew of men out win the machine. A very nice version of this Tall Tale.

[Gabrielle · Rating 3 out of 5]

John Henry is known as the "railroad man". This story is about an African American man working on the railroad. He is known to have been born with a hammer in his hand. He spend many hours working with many men to build railroads. It also talks about how John never died, he just dug a spot and is still sleeping. The theme in this story is to never give up and keep on trying. The illustrations are full of color in this book!

[emyrose8 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tells the story, just like I remember it.

[Breyanna Hill · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book retells the story on the life of the legendary African American hero who raced against a steam drill to cut through a mountain.